


Fixing the Past

by Shinigami24



Series: Correcting the Future [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Captain America: The First Avenger Spoilers, First Time, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, Grief/Mourning, Howling Commandos - Freeform, Hurt Steve Rogers, Hurt/Comfort, Hydra (Marvel), M/M, Matchmaking, Minor Jane Foster/Thor, Minor Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Murder, Original Character(s), Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Slash, Protective Bucky Barnes, Rumors, Sexual Harassment, Slash, Smut, Suicide, Time Travel, Violence, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-10
Updated: 2015-01-24
Packaged: 2018-03-07 00:50:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 17,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3154634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinigami24/pseuds/Shinigami24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The fight with Ultron left most of the Avengers and SHIELD dead. However, it was never the Gods of Fate's plan. With the help of Sif, Skye and Leo must go back to fix what was broken.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the time travel fic I promised. I've been wanting to write a time travel fic and add my own twists to it. This fic is the prequel to a fic I have in the works.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sif brings news to Leo and Skye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the prologue.  
> I know some things contradicts each other. But I'm going by canon. In an deleted scene in the Avengers movie, Steve had Bucky's file. It listed MIA. In AoS, the wall of Valor had Bucky's name on it.

_**Brooklyn, New York, 2015;** _

Rain fell as the funeral proceeded. Everyone was mourning their fallen friends and loved ones. Pepper had her face buried in her hands as she sobbed. Happy and Rhodey tried to comfort her while they wrestled with their own grief. Skye and Leo were huddled together, crying into each other's shoulder. May gripped Maria's hand tightly as she stood near her. Thor and Natasha were grieving. Thor could not believe that his friends were gone.

"How did we all end up here. How is everyone gone?" Skye sniffed. She was upset that her teammates was gone. The team had been like a family to her. Then a memory flashed in her head. She was back at the Wall of Valor reading names of fallen SHIELD and SRR agents. She remembered a name; Bucky Barnes.

"How did Bucky get on the wall?" Skye asked out loud.

"I don't know. Maybe Fury knows?" Leo suggested. They looked to the former SHIELD director.

"According to the higher ups, he died during the war when he fell to his death. Even through his file had him MIA." Fury responded.

"He was alive until recently. We saw him." Skye stated. Then Sif arrived to support everyone. Soon, the funeral ended and Leo and Skye left to talk alone. They wandered in one of the rooms.

"I feel so awful. I could've stopped her." Leo was saying as he remembered his best friend stepping in between him and certain death.

"Bucky felt the same." Skye responded as she remembered the former brainwashed assassin's anguish. Then a voice cut in.

"It all wasn't supposed to happen like this. Something went wrong." Sif said. They looked up to see the goddess standing there.

"What do you mean?" Leo wanted to know.

"The Gods of Fate are in an uproar. What happened with Ultron was not what they wanted." Sif revealed.

"Why tell us now? It's too late." Leo asked.

"The gods can turn back time, but it is a last resort." Sif responded as she proceeded to explain her plan. Leo and Skye looked surprised then hopeful. Maybe they could save everyone.

"Get ready to go. You need to say your goodbyes." Sif finished.

* * *

A hour later, Skye and Leo finished packing their bags. Then they went to say goodbye to some of their friends. The friends were the only ones that wouldn't try to talk them out of this mission. 

"We have to go and fix the past so everything will be right." Leo explained. Sam and Sharon stiffened.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked.

"We are going to save Sergeant Bucky Barnes...in 1944." Leo answered.

"How are you going to do that?" Sam asked. He was relieved but skeptical.

"We have a plan." Skye answered

"I have a request. It's about my Grandma Peggy." Sharon spoke up.

"What is it?" Leo asked.

"Keep her alive but don't change her past." Sharon responded.

"We'll watch out for her." Skye promised. Sharon and Sam hugged the pair and sent them on their way.

"Be careful." Sam said.

* * *

A few minutes later, Skye and Leo met with Sif.

"Are you ready to depart?" Sif asked.

"Yes, we are," Leo answered. Sif opened a portal. The pair stiffened as they walked into the portal. The portal felt like a vacuum as they traveled backwards to 1944. As they traveled, Skye vividly remembered the phone call that had led to this. It had felt like an eternity passed since AC had received the call. It was actually seventeen days, but Skye was so wrapped up in it, that she didn't notice.


	2. Truth of Ultron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper has to call in the teams for help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 1. Ch 2 should be posted tmw, it depends on how things pans out.

_**Manhattan, New York, 2015;** _

Tony, Bruce, and Pepper met at the Tower. Tony was panicking while Bruce tried to stay calm the best that he could.

"What is happening?" Pepper asked in confusion.

"A special program Tony made has developed an ideal that all humanity is bad. It just escaped." Bruce explained. Pepper was horrified. She knew about the project Tony was working on. This was a disaster. The new AI; Ultron could wipe out all of humanity.

"We're going to need help." she declared as she pulled out her phone and started dialing a number.

* * *

Meanwhile, Natasha was working on a new identity when she got a call on her burner phone. Natasha looked surprised when the phone rang. She hadn't given this number to anyone. She pulled her phone out to answer it.

"Who is this?" Nat asked.

"It's me, Pepper. We have a dilemma." Pepper spoke worriedly. Nat's surprise abruptly vanished as her senses went on full alert.

"Tell me what has happened. Leave nothing out." Nat commanded.

Meanwhile, Sam and Steve were in Germany. They had gotten a lead on Bucky that placed him in Berlin. They were searching through various landmarks when Steve's phone went off. Steve answered it.

"Hello?" Steve asked.

"It's me, Natasha. We need everyone to mobilize. It's bad." Natasha spoke on the other end. Steve's blood ran cold.

In the meantime, Thor was visiting Jane, Darcy, and Erik in London. They were working on an experiment. The group was focused intensely on their work. Then the phone rang and Darcy answered it.

"Sup?" she asked. A minute later, Darcy turned and called to Thor.

"Yo, Thor! It's Ms. Potts." she announced. Thor took the phone and listened. After a few seconds, Thor boomed,

"I will be there soon!" After kissing Jane and saying goodbye to his other friends, he ran out of the door and out of the apartment.

Meanwhile, Clint was loving his time on his new farm. It was peaceful and calm. No city noises and no Nick Fury stomping around. No HYDRA toadies. Just peace and quiet. All of sudden, the quiet was shattered by the phone ringing. He groaned, he regretted ever getting the damned thing.

"What?" he grumbled as he answered.

"This is Natasha." the caller said. Before she proceeded to explain the current situation.

"Hello, wait-what did Stark do now? He made what?! I'm gonna kill him! I'll be there soon," he grumbled as he ended the call. Clint stomped into his basement to grab his bow and his gear. He hated this damn job.

* * *

While Clint was being filled in by Nat, the SHIELD agents had finished their latest mission. They were finally back on the Bus ready to debrief. All of them relaxed as they sat down. The mission had made them very tense. Then Phil's phone went off and the new director pulled it out. As he listened, his emotions went from confused to angry. A few minutes later, he ended the call, his body was stiff with anger. The other agents were confused, they had never seen their leader get this angry in forever. Well except for the time when they had found out that Ward was a traitor.

"What made you so angry?" May asked.

"Don't get comfortable. We're going to Manhattan." Phil stated tensely as he got up to go to the front.

* * *

Three days later, Trip and Skye were exploring the Tower. The duo took in everything then they ran into Steve.

"You're Steve Rogers!" Skye squealed when they recognized the super-soldier.

"Hello, you must be Phil's team members." Steve blushed.

"I'm Trip and this is my friend Skye. You served with my Granddad Gabe Jones." Trip responded smiling.

"Really? Well, it doesn't surprise me. Gabe was always a charmer. It'd make sense that his grandchildren would be too." Steve replied. Trip chuckled and patted Steve on the shoulder.

"He wasn't kidding about how cool you were." he declared. Steve grinned and they all began to get to know each other.

* * *

A hour later, the Avengers and SHIELD agents gathered in the conference room. They needed to be briefed on the new AI: Ultron.

"Ultron is a man-made being. His original intent is of no use, but his current intent could destroy all life on the planet. He has developed a complex thinking process and thinks that humans are all evil." Bruce began. Thor grabbed Tony and pressed him against the wall.

"What do we do to destroy it?" Thor growled.

"We destroy its "brain," if you want to call it that. Without the thought process, he can't kill. It's basically like us." Bruce answered.

"Why would you create that damned robot?!" Clint grumbled.

"I created it to take our place! Our work is so dangerous and every time we go out to fight, there is a chance it will be the last time we ever breathe! I cannot keep doing that to Pepper! It kills me to see her worry!" Tony defended his case. Everyone calmed down. While their anger was still there, they now had a reason for why the robot had been built.

"Let's work on a game plan so we can get to his head. The last thing we need is someone dying because they didn't play it safe." Natasha decided. Sitting around the table, they began to brainstorm.


	3. Plan to Destroy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone thinks about Ultron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 2. Ch 3 will be posted right after.

The teams were discussing their plan to defeat Ultron.

"Clint you will be on the rooftops." Phil commanded as he began to hand out assignments.

"Sure." Clint answered.

"Leo and Jemma, you will evacuate any civilians." Phil continued.

"Yes, sir." both agents chorused. Everyone else were given their jobs and told to be careful.

A few minutes later, Tony and Pepper were having their alone time. They cuddled in their bed. They were relaxed for the moment, forgetting the outside world and it's problems.

"I hope that you you manage to destroy that thing." Pepper spoke.

"Me too. I wish that I never made that." Tony sighed.

"You had a good goal and you never suspected that things would turn out like this." Pepper reassured her glum lover.

"I should've thought about it longer. I could've fixed any potential problems then." Tony was glum.

"That's in the past, Tony. Just focus on stopping him now." Pepper responded.

* * *

 While Tony and Pepper were having their alone time, Natasha was hanging out with May and Maria. The agents were trying to relax and catch up.

"I've been trying to build a whole new identity." Nat mentioned to her friends.

"I've been helping fight HYDRA and trying to keep the world safe." May responded.

"I'm working security at Stark Industries." Maria replied.

"So, we're basically all doing what we did before HYDRA fell?" Natasha asked. Everyone nodded.

"Old habits die hard." Natasha mused.

* * *

 While the friends was catching up, Steve was hanging out with Skye and Trip in the common room. They were all happy to hang out with each other. All of sudden, Skye saw something odd.

"No way! I thought only Thor could lift his hammer!" she exclaimed. Steve nearly dropped Mjolnir when he realized that Skye had seen him. He quickly adopted 'a deer in the highlights' expression on his face.

"Um, let's act like this never happened." Steve spoke quickly.

"Grandpa always said that you was a troll." Trip wasn't about to let his new friend off the hook. Steve sighed as he realized the jig was up.

"I can be." Steve replied.

"I would pay to see Thor's face if he could see this right now." Skye laughed. The trio continued to laugh and talk. They were completely unaware that they were being watched.

* * *

On the roof of the building next to the Tower, Bucky Barnes watched over his dearest friend and secret love. The former brainwashed assassin was still as he watched Steve. He was in his right mind mostly. He had finally regained his memories back; even the Winter Soldier ones. But he still worried about hurting his friend. Super soldier he may be, Steve still always would be that tiny punk he had met all those years ago. The blond was too reckless about his health. Bucky couldn't risk hurting him, so he would watch over him from the shadows for now. But how to get word to him so he would drop his search? Bucky considered his possible options before making a decision. Bucky then wrote a note and dropped it off.

A hour later, Steve got back to his floor and found the note.

'Wait for me, Steve. I will be with you soon.' he read.

"I will, Bucky. I'll always wait for you. I promise." the blond vowed as emotions overwhelmed him. He felt happiness with a twinge of sorrow. The super soldier couldn't wait to see the love of his life again.

* * *

While Steve was finding the note, Ultron was plotting with his minions. The said minions were twins named Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.

"What shall we do about these pests?" Scarlet Witch asked.

"We destroy them like the rest of the humans." Ultron declared. They all smirked at the idea of killing the heroes.

"There's no strings on me. No one controls me." the robot vowed.

"We will rule this planet and fix its wretched state." the AI finished.


	4. Fighting Ultron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teams fight Ultron and the twins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 3. Sorry if the chapter is kinda short, I'm horrible at action scenes.

_**Manhattan, New York, 2015;** _

Four days later, the citizens were going about their daily routines. It was soon interrupted by Ultron and the twins when they appeared in middle of the street. They began to cause havoc. Screams of panic went up as buildings were destroyed, cars were overturned or as parts of the road were pulled up or wrecked. Food carts were destroyed as street vendors ran for their lives. The citizens began to panic as they ran away from the chaos. 

"Who will save us?!" a citizen screamed.

"Run!" another citizen yelled.

* * *

A few minutes later, the Avengers and SHIELD agents arrived at the scene of chaos.

"Split up. Remember your part of the plan and play it." Phil commanded.

"Yes, sir!" Everyone said as they split up and got into their places. The teams were determined to destroy Ultron and deal with his accomplices. Everyone got to work, finding a villain each or prepared to begin getting the citizens to safety. They were going to end this.

* * *

 Ultron was looking above Manhattan from his perch when the first team found him. He was admiring his handiwork. All of sudden he noticed Iron Man fly at him. He jumped back only to find Phil and May cornering him. They held guns. They were prepared to take him down and destroy his brain.

"Why are you here? You made me and I am doing my duty." Ultron questioned.

"You were supposed to protect the world, not kill all of its life." Tony replied.

"The world is corrupt. I have to destroy it and begin anew." Ultron reasoned.

"Not if we have anything to say about it." May responded. This robot sounded disturbingly similar to one of their enemies 'the Doctor'. Then the fight began.

* * *

While the first team was confronting Ultron, Steve, Skye, and Thor were fighting the twins. The twins had been surprised by the added persons. So Steve was dodging blasts from Scarlet Witch, by using hand-to-hand combat techniques. As Thor stuck up lightning using Mjolnir. Then Skye created an earthquake, knocking the twins off balance.

"What was that?!" exclaimed Quicksilver.

"You tell me!" Scarlet Witch responded. This wasn't what they expected. The trio instantly took advantage of their shock to storm the twins.

* * *

 Meanwhile, Jemma and Leo were evacuating the citizens. They were steering them into buses to get them out of ground zero. Some didn't want to leave, so the agents had to get forceful.

"If you don't leave, we can't be sure that you won't be harmed." Jemma warned a persistent reporter. The pair then resumed moving the civilians. As they looked over at the various battles going on, they hoped that all of the teams were fine.

While the teams were busy, Natasha, Bruce, and Trip were providing backup to the others. Bruce had transformed into Hulk for the occasion, while Nat and Trip wielded guns and some Howling Commandos weapons. They stayed on the ground to help when it was needed. 

Meanwhile, Clint was on the roof of a building, shooting at Ultron. All of sudden, he realized that he wasn't alone. Someone else was shooting at the enemy, only using bullets instead of arrows.

"Who the hell is up here?" he pondered out loud. Clint then looked around but saw nothing. He shrugged. Whoever it was, they were helping them. So it didn't matter to him.


	5. They All Fall Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tragedy strikes as the teams keeps fighting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 4. Ch 5 will be posted right after.  
> Please don't kill me for how things turn out in this chapter! I warned you remember. *runs away*

While Ultron and his allies were being attacked on all sides, HYDRA came looking for the twins. They had discovered the twins' whereabouts when someone found pictures and videos of the battle on the Internet.

"Capture the twins. Take out anyone fighting them." Brock Rumlow commanded the STRIKE team.

"Yes sir!" the team chorused as they departed. Brock headed into another direction, he had his own mission to carry out. The newcomers were completely unaware that they had been spotted.

Ultron fumed as he saw the newcomers. The robot looked mostly intact, unlike his opponents, his body wasn't seriously damaged. In the meantime, Phil and May were battered and winded. Their tight bodysuits had been ripped in some places. While Tony's red and gold suit was close to falling apart. He could only take so much damage.

"More humans interfering with my duty! I will not stand for it!" Ultron growled before he switched his focus to Phil, May, and Tony. Ultron instantly sent down a piece of debris. It embedded itself in Coulson's chest. He looked down at it in surprise before crumbling over. He was dead before he hit the ground. May and Tony stared at Phil in dawning horror.

* * *

Meanwhile, the twins were still fighting Steve, Thor, and Skye. They refused to give up despite the overwhelming odds. Then HYDRA arrived and it became a three way fight. The STRIKE team split into two teams, each team took a twin each. The Hulk joined Thor to fight the Scarlet Witch as Steve and Skye took Quicksilver on. Minutes later, the fight was ongoing and Thor and Hulk was being overwhelmed by the extra variable in the fight. No one had ever calculated for the possibility of HYDRA. Meanwhile, Scarlet was in the same predicament as the heroes, she was being attacked on all sides. She was rapidly becoming desperate, so she pulled out her bag of tricks and cast illusions on her opponents before she ran for it. Some of the HYDRA members were barely able to snap out of said illusions. Seeing Scarlet running away, they instantly gave chase.

In the meantime, the Hulk was shocked by the illusions, since said illusions played on his worst fears and insecurities. He was so shaken that he transformed into Bruce. As the Hulk became Bruce, a HYDRA member shot him between the eyes. Thor came out of his own illusions in time to see Bruce die. He roared in grief as he attacked the HYDRA member.

* * *

Meanwhile, the battle was heating up between Quicksilver, HYDRA, Steve, and Skye. Trip had joined the fight. Quicksilver tried to run circles around his opponents. Skye, Steve, and Trip were exhausted from fighting. Seeing an opening, Quicksilver sneakily picked up a broken sign. He then ran swiftly, forcing it into Trip's chest, before fleeing.

"No!" Skye screamed as she saw her friend fall. Steve's heart broke. He'd lost another friend yet again.

Meanwhile, Bucky felt his heart drop when he saw Trip fall. He shook in grief. This was Gabe's grandson! The Commandos had been like family to him and Steve.

Meanwhile, HYDRA were frustrated. This was supposed to be an easy retrieval! How had everything gotten out of control? That did it, they were taking control back! With that goal in mind, the STRIKE team took some civilians hostage. They were going to drag this out and get those blasted twins back.

* * *

In the meantime, Leo and Jemma were getting the last evacuation bus together when HYDRA got to them.

"What are you doing here?" Jemma wasn't happy to see the group.

"We were here for the twins, but they escaped again." Jack Rollins grumbled. The best friends went stock still. What were they going to do about them? They had no weapons and very little training for hand-to-hand combat. Leo moved slightly in attempt to protect Jemma. Even through he knew that she didn't love him the way he did her, he'd do anything to protect her.

While Leo was trying to protect Jemma, Natasha had seen Leo and Jemma's predicament and instantly ran towards the pair. When she was a short distance away, an agent saw her. He got ballsy and lifted his gun and pointed it at Leo. He immediately pulled the trigger. When the smoke cleared up, he realized that he had shot the woman instead. Before he could react, Natasha fired her gun. The agent fell over dead.

"Jemma!" Leo screamed when Jemma began to bleed out. She had pushed Leo out of the way and took the bullet instead.

"Why did you do this?" Leo sobbed.

"It was my turn to protect you, I'd protect you no matter what. I love you so much, Leo." Jemma choked as she coughed up blood. Natasha ran up.

"I love you too, Jem. Don't go." Leo wept. Jemma smiled one last time then she stopped breathing. Leo cried out in anguish as he clutched her body. Natasha stared on in horror all of sudden she saw something strange?

Meanwhile Clint was panicking. Everyone was dying one by one and he couldn't do much to help. Clint was about to head down when he found Brock blocking his way.  
"I'm going to destroy you and your team, Rumlow." he promised as he glared at the HYDRA agent.

"Not if I destroy you first." Brock smirked as he pulled out his service pistol. He shot Clint several times in the chest. Staring at his chest in dazed shock, Clint fell off the building. He was dead before he hit the stack of cardboard boxes. Moments later Natasha found him and crumbled to her knees when she saw Clint's dead body. She began to cry as she touched his face. One of her best friends was gone. 

* * *

Meanwhile, Steve and Skye had found Quicksilver. Anger blazed in their eyes. The villain panicked and grabbed a civilian that had been hiding. HYDRA soon found the super-powered twin. Seeing that he was outnumbered, Quicksilver decided to pull a double bluff. With a smirk, he threw the hostage near Steve. He caught her and set her down, not seeing the villain go for a HYDRA agent's pistol. He then fired one solid shot into Steve's stomach. Steve collapsed as Skye screamed into horror. Quicksilver escaped with HYDRA in hot pursuit.


	6. End of It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle comes to a tragic end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 5. This may be the last update for now. Ch 6 will either be updated tow or Wed. It depends on how things pans out. Again, please don't kill me for this chapter.

When Steve collapsed, Bucky began to gasp for air. He had witnessed Steve being shot. He wanted to run down there to save him. Eventually, Bucky just gave up staying away and slung his sniper rifle over his shoulder as he began to run. Soon, he was kneeling at Steve's side. The blond was laying in a pool of blood. Steve was fading fast, he'd lost too much blood. He saw Bucky and gave a weak smile. Skye was kneeling by Steve's other side holding his hand. Her eyes went wide when she saw the brunette man with short hair run to her friend. Was that Sergeant Barnes?! How? He was supposed to be dead! Just then, Steve's weak voice broke her out of her reverie.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't keep my promise." Steve spoke weakly.

"Don't say that, Stevie. Please don't." Bucky responded. He was emotionally hurting inside as he vainly attempted to stem his tears.

"At least I nearly made it to thirty, the docs thought that I wouldn't." Steve weakly tried to joke as he gasped once more. Then his eyes went glassy and his chest stopped moving. Steve Rogers was gone. Bucky was left in shock as he tried to deny the reality of the current situation. He just couldn't accept that his Stevie was gone.

"No!" Skye cried out as she gripped her friend's hand. Meanwhile Bucky felt numb inside. Revenge was all he had left. He got up and went into his assassin mindset.

"I will kill them all. I will paint this city in their blood." Bucky growled as he began his search.

* * *

A short time later, Bucky found HYDRA holed up in a deserted building near by. Taking out his guns, he went in full force. Taking no prisoners, Bucky killed everyone as he moved through the building. The fight was mostly one-sided due to the fact that HYDRA was still terrified of their former asset. When Bucky was finished killing the last HYDRA agent, he thought about his next target. Soon, he made his decision.

"Prepare yourself, Quicksilver. You're next. Soon, Stevie and Antoine will be avenged." Bucky promised as he left the building to find the speed demon.

* * *

While Bucky was taking his revenge, Skye had found Thor. But Thor was outnumbered, the twins had come back for him. The pair instantly teamed back up to fight the twins. The opponents fought fiercely, neither side refusing to yield. Lightning flashed as the ground shook under the twins. Quicksilver was trying to run circles around Skye and Thor while Scarlet attempted to conjure up illusions. Then Bucky arrived and zeroed in on Quicksilver. He moved with determination as he stalked towards the super-powered villain. There was fire in his eyes as pure anger burned brightly. Thor was shocked then puzzled as the newcomer zoomed in on the twins. He was about to intervene when Skye grabbed his arm and shook her head.

"No, please don't. He won't listen." she warned. She had seen the look in Bucky's eyes before but on someone else. He wasn't going to stop, not anytime soon. When Quicksilver passed by Bucky, the assassin grabbed the white-haired twin by his neck with his metal arm. He put pressure on it, choking him slowly. Then there was a snap and the villain instantly went limp. Scarlet let out a loud cry and attacked Bucky. He turned the tables, grabbing her by her clothing and stopping her momentum. Bucky pulled a knife out of his boot and stabbed her in the spine. She twitched once and went limp. Breathing hard, Bucky looked at their bodies. He wasn't done yet.

* * *

 A few minutes later, Bucky found his final target Ultron. He knew about destroying the central system that holds his intelligence. Bucky was about to take action when he realized that the mastermind wasn't alone. He took a closer look. He knew that face. Seething in anger, Bucky turned to Tony.

"This is all of your fault. If it wasn't for you and the need to make everything all perfect, Steve and everyone else would still be alive!" he growled.

"I never intended for this to happen!" Tony protested. Sadly for the billionaire, Bucky was beyond reason, he merely took off the safety off his gun. Before May could stop him, Bucky had shot Tony between the eyes. Bucky then looked to Ultron. He was the last piece to the puzzle.

* * *

About a thirty minutes later, Bucky was surrounded by the last living members of the Avengers and SHIELD agents alike. He had destroyed Ultron by having Thor throw him near his head. Natasha and May had to be convinced to help, but Skye had managed to talk them around. Bucky then got out one of his knives and opened the head, pulling out his "brain". Currently, the group were mostly confused at seeing a famous war hero alive.

"How did you survive?" May asked Bucky.

"Zola put the serum in my body when HYDRA had us prisoners. He found me after I fell. He then gave me a metal arm. Around that time, he began to condition me to kill." Bucky responded.

"Just like Mike." Skye gasped.

"Someone allowed Zola; Red Skull's loyal servant to become a SHIELD scientist. Which was a bad idea. He is the one who reformed HYDRA and that's how I survived." Bucky finished.

"That's true. Zola admitted it. Steve was so furious." Nat confirmed. Everyone groaned and shook their heads. They would never understand what the higher ups had been thinking when that happened.

"Now everyone is gone. A lot of the team has been killed because of Ultron and HYDRA including Steve. I don't want to live in this world if my only ray of sunshine is gone," he admitted as he took out his pistol. Before anyone could stop him, he put a bullet in his skull. As Bucky collapsed, the survivors stood back in shock and mounting horror. They didn't know that Bucky would kill himself. Now, everyone were dead.


	7. Grief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The survivors bury their comrades.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 6. TKoE will be next to be updated.  
> Sorry for the history lesson, but I wanted to portray Leo and Skye going back from the 21st century to the 20th century, or is it 19th century? The exact phrasing confuses me..

**_Brooklyn, New York, 2015_** ;

Ten days later, the survivors of SHIELD and the Avengers gathered together for the private funeral. The rain seemed to fit their somber mood. They were all sullen. Hands were clasped together in front of them as they looked down. The rain drops camouflaged their tears as they flowed. The survivors were greeted by others as they arrived. Fury brought Peggy and Maria. While Sam, Happy, and Rhodey came with Pepper. Sif and Betty Ross turned up. Betty's shoulders were slumped as she cried. She couldn't believe that Bruce was dead and never coming back. Peggy cried into a tissue. She had lost both of her closest friends again. Pepper was being supported by Happy and Rhodey as she sobbed. Sam was taking all of it badly. He knew about Bucky finding Steve, but his suicide stunned him. Jane and Darcy showed up to be moral support for Thor, while Sif was there to support her friends. As the caskets were lowered, everyone wondered why their loved ones had to go. After the funeral, they all went back to the Tower to eat lunch together. No one could ignore the empty seats.

* * *

A short time later, the teams went their separate ways to mourn. Maria found May and Nat crying.

"It's going to get better soon." Maria spoke as she tried to comfort her distraught friends. The girls truly doubted that.

Meanwhile, Thor cried as he sat alone. He'd lost many of his brethren. Then Jane and Darcy found him. Jane hugged him close and tried to comfort him. Thor cried in her shoulder, as he desperately wished for the pain and grief to stop.

In the meantime, Leo and Skye were mourning their loved ones together. Then Sif found them. She took in their sobs and stepped forward to speak.

"I think that I can help you with your grief," she told them. The pair looked at her. What could she possibly do?

* * *

 About a hour later, everyone had questions so they got together in the common room.

"Why did Bucky kill Tony?" Darcy was confused.

"Bucky blamed him for the deaths. Because Tony created Ultron." May explained.

"I would understand it. He'd lost the love of his life." Sam commented.

"How did you know? Grandma said only a few people knew!" Sharon stated in surprise.

"A few people?" Darcy perked up in interest.

"The Commandos, Howard Stark, and Grandma." Sharon answered.

"Steve was destroyed when he found out that Bucky was alive and brainwashed." Sam replied.

"That explains his behavior." Maria winced as she remembered the events of Project Insight.

"He was hellbent on getting Bucky back or die trying." Sam groused.

"We nearly had a heart attack when we found him on the riverbank. He gave Maria the scare of her life when he told her to blow the helicarrier up with him on it." Natasha recalled.

"So in Bucky's mind. Stark deserved to die for making him lose his love again. HYDRA took away his love the first time." Sam concluded.

* * *

Meanwhile, Pepper was crying alone in her bedroom when Rhodey and Happy came to comfort her. The pair focused on her entirely, ignoring their own grief.

"Why did he have to die?" she sobbed. Her face was tear-streaked and her eyes were red.

"We don't have any answers. I wish we did." Rhodey spoke sadly. Pepper nodded and sniffled. She leaned her head onto Rhodey's shoulder and wished that it was Tony sitting there.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sif, Leo, and Skye were having a discussion. Skye and Leo couldn't believe Sif. How could she promise the impossible? The pair tensed as they talked.

"The Gods of Fate will be sending you to the past. You must rectify the past in order to protect the future." Sif was saying.

"What time period exactly?" Leo asked.

"1944. Your job is to save Bucky from falling. At that point, the Gods said their fates were sealed." Sif answered before she explained the rest of the mission. Then the pair went to get packed. They soon returned to Sif. The others had noticed that they were going somewhere. Hopefully Sam and Sharon managed to keep them at bay long enough for them to get started. Sif opened a portal and the pair walked in.

As the pair time-traveled, they saw key world events. Steve's body being found and then defrosted, Thor coming to Earth, Tony's transformation in Iron Man. Osama bin Laden's death. The death of pop icon Michael Jackson. Barack Obama being elected president. Bruce's accident with gamma rays resulting in the Hulk being born. 9/11 and the resulting war on terrorism, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone appearing on the big screen, the start of a new millennium played out in front of them. Then they reached the 20th century and saw Princess Diana's death, the first Harry Potter book being released, Howard Stark's death, and the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. Leo and Skye then saw Skye's mother die and her father losing it. The young woman froze as she realized that Grant wasn't lying to her about her mother's death. They went back to the Watergate Scandal, the death of the King of Rock n' Roll; Elvis Presley, and the original Star War trilogy coming out in the movie theaters. They saw Neil Armstrong become the First Man on the Moon, the Beatles rising to stardom, and the Vietnam War. The assassination of President Kennedy, the Civil Rights movement, and the first James Bond movie appeared. Lasers were invented as the Peace Corps was established. Hula Hoops became popular and LEGOs were introduced. Disneyland opening, Senator McCarthy and the Red Scare passed them by with the Cold War beginning. The establishment of SHIELD and World War 2 ending were the last things they saw. The time stopped when they finally arrived in 1944. They looked out of place, but clothing could wait. They needed to get to Bucky and Steve.


	8. Hidden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo and Skye meet Peggy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 7. Sorry for the delay, but I've had a rough couple of days. On the other hand, ch 8 will be posted right next.  
> As for the setting, since the scriptwriters failed to give us concrete info on exactly where the allied troops was in 1943. I had to relay on WW2 maps that I found. In 1943, the only territory that was available to the allies was Italy. I know that changed in 1944, but I prefer Italy.

_**Allied territory in southern Italy, 1944;** _

After arriving into Allied territory, Skye and Leo had a long journey ahead of them. So they started walking through a forest. They were uneasy as they got closer to the clearing. The clearing was full of tents and artillery. Including jeeps, an army tank and camp fires.

"Well, infiltrating a base was harder than I thought." Leo sighed.

"There is a war going on. Of course it will be hard." Skye pointed out. Their bags thrown over their soldiers, the pair strolled their way into the center of the camp.

* * *

Meanwhile, Peggy Carter was looking over a map when she saw the two weirdly dressed civilians. Who were the two newcomers? With that burning question in her mind, the brunette walked up to them and stepped into their path.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" she asked. The pair panicked and looked at each other as they recognized her. What could they say? Especially to one of the founders of SHIELD?

"What are you wearing? These are nothing like I've seen." Peggy continued her line of questioning.

"We are from a different country. This is our normal attire." Skye answered.

"Well, you need to be in army issued clothes not civvies." Peggy warned.

"We are actually looking for Sergeant Barnes and Captain Rogers." Skye revealed.

"How do you know them?" Peggy gasped.

"It is an urgent matter. We really must speak with them, ma'am." Leo responded.

"Fine, but I will be going with you." Peggy replied. Before they could continue walking, Howard Stark joined them.

"Hey, Peggy. The Commandos just left on another mission. I don't know when they'll get back." he informed his friend.

* * *

Seeing that there was no better options, Peggy decided to hide Leo and Skye. She knew that Phillips simply would think the worst of the newcomers and the upper ups wouldn't take her seriously. So she appealed to Howard.

"Howard, I need your help!" she spoke urgently.

"Sure, what's going on?" Howard asked in confusion.

"I need your help to hide those two." Peggy explained.

"First, I need to know that they aren't spies for HYDRA." Howard responded warily.

"We aren't spies. HYDRA murdered my mother," Skye spoke as she shook with a mixture of emotions. She felt sorrow at never knowing her parents, fury and hate towards HYDRA. Because of the monster Whitehall, Skye had grown up not knowing who she was and had been denied the chance of a stable childhood. She had only found happiness after she took charge of her own life. Say what you want, bouncing from foster home to foster home is not a stable childhood. Seeing Skye's anger, Howard was shocked.

"I'll help you." Howard said as he relented. The pair was then taken to a safe-house to stay. The safe-house had two floors and was a huge house. There were eight bedrooms in the place. There were three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, laundry room, and a dining room. There was a radio, tv, and telephones in the living room. The kitchen had a refrigerator, a pantry, and stove. There was even indoor plumbing much to Skye's relief. She dreaded using an outdoor toilet. In the laundry room, there was a washing machine and a dryer. There were vintage furniture. The pair loved the place. It looked like a genuine home complete with carpeted floors.

"Two rooms are available. The master bedroom is not one of them." Peggy explained. Howard got their bags and led them to their rooms. They would be staying there until their mission was done.


	9. Irrationality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky gets extremely protective of Steve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 8 as promised. Ch 9 is done, but it will either be posted afterwards or tmw, it depends on how things pans out.

The Commandos were outside the HYDRA base getting ready for their mission.

"Dernier, get your explosives set up. Jim, if you take this route, you can find the cells and free the prisoners." Steve was saying. A few minutes later, they stormed the base. They all went in formation with their guns blazing. Steve also wielded his round shield. Dernier planted his explosives with help from Monty as the others took out soldiers and scientists. Jim quickly found the cells and got the prisoners out. When the mission was nearly complete, Steve got hurt. He was shot in the left shoulder by a desperate HYDRA soldier. He was extremely lucky the bullet didn't get close to his heart. The super-soldier collapsed bleeding. Bucky reacted quickly. He immediately unloaded half of his clip into the soldier that shot Steve. He then took charge. They needed to get the base destroyed so he can attend to Steve. After finishing their mission, which was a success despite the unexpected hitch. They retreated and fled the base before it exploded. Bucky was supporting Steve, all the while vibrating with pure fury.

* * *

Two hours later, the Commandos returned to base. Steve was taken to the infirmary much to Bucky's dismay. The sergeant was currently on the warpath. Howard instantly alerted Peggy when they returned. Peggy then went to the safe-house to retrieve Leo and Skye.

"The Commandos have returned. Follow me." Peggy stated. As the trio left, they were unaware of someone else sneaking in through the back door. Peggy then led them to the camp. A few minutes later, the group were directed to Howard. They walked inside Howard's lab to see three men there.

"Leo and Skye, these are some of the Commandos; Jim Morita, Dum Dum Dugan, and Monty Falsworth." she spoke as she performed the introductions.

"Nice to meet you." Jim smiled.

* * *

While Peggy was retrieving a certain pair, Dum Dum, Jim, and Monty hid out in Howard's lab. Bucky was beyond pissed and they knew better than to be near him at the moment. They were beyond surprised when Peggy walked in with two newcomers.

"Who are these two and what are they wearing?" Monty asked. After Peggy finished performing the introductions, Leo realized something.

"Wait, where are the others?" he asked as he looked around in confusion.

"Oh, no one wants to be near Bucky right now. Steve is in the infirmary. So Dernier and Gabe hid somewhere else." Dum Dum answered. All of sudden, Howard ran inside and slammed the door behind him.

"Not anymore. Bucky took Steve somewhere else. The doctors are pissed!" he informed them. The Commandos groaned.

"Poor doctors. Sometimes, Bucky can be irrational." Dum Dum commented.

"I'd hate to see how Bucky would take it if Steve was ever mortally wounded." Monty responded. Leo and Skye looked at each other in alarm. They swallowed heavily, biting their lips in order to not tell them anything.

"Let's just wait it out. He'll come to his senses and get him some medical attention," Howard said. Everyone accepted it and went back to hiding out.

* * *

In the meantime, Gabe and Dernier hid in one of the tents. They were relaxed now that they had avoided Bucky. The pair of best friends spoke in French. The best friends were discussing their plans for after the war ended. All of sudden, their conservation was abruptly interrupted by an angry medic.

"Do you have any ideas of where Barnes took Captain Rogers?" she growled. Their eyes widened before they groaned. Bucky was way too paranoid for his own good.

 ** _"No idea. We can help you look,"_** Dernier offered with Gabe translating.

"That would be great," the medic sighed in relief as she accepted their help. Dernier and Gabe then got up and followed the medic.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bucky took Steve to the safe-house. He wanted him to be comfortable in their bedroom. The sergeant checked the wound. It had begun to heal but he would need some blood. Bucky was worried about Steve but he was also upset with him. He should've been more careful. Steve felt weak but he was too aware of his oldest friend's current mood. When Bucky got worried he usually began lecturing.

"You're a fuckin' idiot sometimes, Steve. You were fuckin' reckless out there. If that bullet was any closer to your heart. I'd be seein' you in a damned morgue!" Bucky scolded, his Brooklyn accent was out in full force.

"I'm sorry, Bucky. I was so focused on destroying that base and saving the prisoners. That I didn't think about being hurt." Steve apologized sheepishly. Bucky softened as he finally relented.

"I thought that I would lose you. I'd lose my damned mind if that ever happened." Bucky admitted as he leaned down to gently hug Steve.

"You could never lose me," the super soldier responded as he returned the hug.

In the meantime, Peggy and the others were roped into helping find the missing pair. They searched everywhere from the lab to the tent Bucky shared with Steve. Then Peggy got an idea.

"What about the safe-house? That seems like a likely place." Peggy suggested. Everyone nodded then they went to said house and checked the master bedroom. They instantly found the pair. Peggy and the medic then forced Bucky to allow them to check on Steve. Skye and Leo were in shock. Peggy was able to make Bucky relent without much of a fight.

"Steve will need a blood transfusion. He is going back to the infirmary. His health is in dire circumstances without the blood." the medic said after she finished checking her patient. Steve was then immediately taken back to the infirmary. Peggy gave Bucky a good scolding for taking Steve. The sergeant actually looked ashamed. Steve would be out of action even with the transfusion. He wouldn't be able to take missions that required actual action for the next while. Bucky was still allowed to see Steve in the infirmary, but only if he was being supervised. They really didn't need him kidnapping their patient again.


	10. Explosion in the Lab

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo visits Howard in the lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 9. Ch 10 should be posted tmw, it depends on how things pans out.

The next day, the Commandos, Leo, and Skye gathered in the infirmary. They were there to visit Steve. Leo and Skye also wanted to introduce themselves. Leo and Skye were dressed in military clothes.

"I am Skye Johnson and this is my half brother, Leo Johnson." Skye spoke as she introduced herself and Leo.

"I think you should use your real name. Your nickname isn't too common." Leo warned.

"Dad called me by my first name; Daisy." Skye admitted.

"We are estranged from our dad. He went mad when Skye's mom was murdered by HYDRA." Leo said as he and Skye weaved their tale full of half-truths. They couldn't just tell them that they were time-travelers! The Commandos looked somber.

"Anyway, you was here to see us?" Steve asked.

"We are disguised as soldiers because that was the only way that we'd get in. We're here to see you something very important." Skye began.

"What is it?" Monty asked.

"We were sent here to save Bucky. You're gonna fall off a train and face an icy death. However, you didn't die and HYDRA found you and experimented on you." Skye revealed.

"That's not going to happen! Not while I'm here!" Steve replied. He was terrified at the possibility of losing Bucky. The older man was his world. Bucky wasn't doing much better, he gripped Steve's hand tightly. Dum Dum swore under his breath. The Commandos were all angry at HYDRA.

"What can we do to stop it?" Gabe asked.

"Try to avoid the train. If you can't, try to stick together." Leo responded. Steve and Bucky looked at each other. Ever since they had reunited, they never thought about being separated and they never wanted it to happen. The five months of being apart while Steve was in basic then the USO tour and Bucky was at the front-lines had been bad enough.

* * *

 About two hours later, the Howling Commandos, Peggy, and Howard met up in Howard's lab to play poker. Everyone was hunched over their cards.

"What is wrong everyone?" Howard asked.

"Those two newbies are actually here to save Bucky. They are warning us of something." Dum Dum responded.

"What is it?" Howard was confused.

"Bucky was going to fall out of a train. He was going to be found by HYDRA and be experimented on." Monty explained.

"That's terrifying!" Howard exclaimed.

"I know, right?" Gabe replied.

"Anyway, so anyone want to raise their bets?" Howard asked as he changed the subject. Peggy and some others raised their hands. Then the game resumed. They played two hands. Peggy dominated both, but her and Gabe were close to winning.

 _ **"You sure that you couldn't have made a living playing poker?"**_ Dernier asked with Gabe translating. Peggy smirked as she took ration cards.

* * *

After lunch, Dum Dum and Leo visited Howard. Leo marveled at the inventions and began a discussion with Howard.

"You are really intelligent for a young lad." Howard commented.

"I wouldn't have gotten this far without my best friend and lab partner; Jemma." Leo responded.

"Lab partners are always important." Howard smiled.

"Yeah, they are." Leo replied as he gave a watery smile. Dum Dum saw Leo's mood change.

"Are you okay?" Dum Dum asked.

"Just sad." Leo forced a smile.

"Well, I can cheer you up. Take a look at this new experiment." Howard smiled. The experiment was mixing chemicals in order to make a better fuel for their generators. Then Howard put in the wrong chemical resulting into an explosion.

Meanwhile, the soldiers, medics, and agents alike all were shocked when a loud BOOM was heard all over camp. Everyone jumped in surprise resulting into interesting side effects. The army cook was so startled that he used salt instead of sugar. Luckily his assistant managed to salvage the damage. A doctor was filling out some paperwork for the higher ups when she heard the explosion. She barely was able to prevent herself from making a clerical error. Phillips was looking through some maps when the experiment blew up. The soldiers were horsing around when they heard the explosion, two had been wrestling. A young major messed up a hold and ended up face down in the grass, spitting out grass blades. When they looked over, they saw white smoke coming from the direction of Howard Stark's lab. They groaned as they moved cautiously to the lab.

"Stark!" Colonel Phillips shouted furiously.

Meanwhile, Steve tried to get out of bed to check it out but Bucky pushed him back onto the bed.

"Is Steve allowed to leave here for a little while? He is under my supervision." Bucky asked.

"Fine, but have him back soon." a nurse responded. Bucky got Steve up and out of the bed and into a wheelchair. They soon met with the other Commandos, Peggy, and Skye.

"What did Howard do this time?" Peggy asked. They made their way to the lab and stepped inside. They didn't expect Dum Dum and Leo to be there too.

"Do you have any idea what a scare you gave us?! We thought someone could've been approaching our camp!" Phillips ranted. After several minutes of furious shouting, he finally wound down and stomped out of the lab.

"Such a drama queen." Howard replied as he rolled his eyes.

* * *

A few minutes later, Bucky took Steve back to the infirmary to lay down. The pair was laughing at Howard's latest stunt.

"The look on Phillips's face was golden!" Bucky laughed.

"Howard just didn't care." Steve snickered. The pair was hanging out as Steve healed. Bucky didn't want to leave his best friend and secret love's side for a second. Eventually Steve decided to address the elephant in the room.

"What Skye and Leo said, I never want that to happen." Steve said as he gripped Bucky's shirt. The very thought of losing the man he loved was too frightening to comprehend! He still remembered the fear and devastation he'd experienced when he had first heard about Bucky's capture. He refused to face a world without him in it _ever._ That determination had led him to rescuing Bucky from HYDRA.

"It's not going to happen. Not if I can help it." Bucky responded as he held Steve's hand and smiled reassuringly. He then kissed Steve's hand.

"You can't get rid of me that easily, punk." he promised. Steve gave him a wobbly smile. He hoped that it was true.

* * *

Meanwhile, Leo and Skye met in the safe-house to talk in private. All of the others were in their tents at base camp. Well, most of them were. Bucky was in the infirmary with Steve. They were relaxing into the couch in the main room. The radio was background music to their conservation.

"Bucky and Steve in this time, are much different from their future selves." Leo said.

"True, Steve was always by the book. I think the only time I've seen him act carefree was when he was hanging with Trip and I." Skye recalled.

"Then there was the small glimpse we got of Bucky. Sam told us everything that happened to him. It was really sad." Leo reminisced.

"It resembled what happened with my dad. He lost it when my mom was murdered. In the end, there was only a shell." Skye spoke sadly. As she finally realized how much she had lost due to HYDRA.

"What makes these two so different in the future?" Leo wanted to know.

"Things weren't good for them when they were separated. When Steve was copying Sleeping Beauty, Bucky was being experimented on. That changes people." Skye responded.

"We're here to change all of that. We're gonna fix this." Leo responded.

"Yes, our world will be back to normal. Everyone will be alive and we will have done our jobs." Skye promised.


	11. Rumor has It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rumor begins to spread around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 10. Ch 11 will be up right after.

After dinner, the Commandos visited Bucky and Steve in the infirmary. Gabe even snuck in some food for Steve.

"Thank you so much," Steve groaned in relief. As he bit into their ration of meat and potatoes. Finally some real food! He was getting tired of bland hospital food.

"I knew you'd miss the rations." Bucky smiled.

"Have you eaten, Sarge?" Dum Dum asked.

"Not in awhile. I've been too busy with Steve." Bucky responded.

"No way, Buck. You can't just go without food!" Steve protested. He eyed Bucky until he began to relent.

"Fine," he finally said. The sergeant got up to get a meal. He could never argue with Steve.

* * *

Two days later, Steve was finally discharged from the infirmary. He was then taken back to their tent by Bucky. Steve was laid down on their bed. They were happy not to be in the infirmary. They laid down next to each other, happy to be together.

"I would have never thought that I would miss a cot in a tent until now." Steve marveled.

"You're just happy to be out of that place." Bucky replied.

"Hospitals are awful, Buck. They are so clean, it's not human. Plus the food are terrible." Steve replied.

"True, the chairs aren't comfortable. Plus the nurses wouldn't let me stay pass visiting hours." Bucky had to agree. He still remembered when he had to sneak in after visiting hours so his little punk wouldn't be alone. Then Steve yawned.

"These meds are getting to me," he said. He turned onto his side and slung Bucky's arm over his body. The sergeant laughed and nuzzled into his neck. They began to nod off and finally went to sleep.

Meanwhile, Gabe needed to borrow Bucky's camera. He knew that he'd left it in his tent and went to get it. He walked into the tent, finding that Bucky and Steve were spooning. Bucky was the bigger spoon. Gabe chuckled and smiled. How could they be so oblivious? He then got an idea. Picking up the camera, he snapped a few pictures. Then he quickly left. A few minutes later, he was showing the pictures to Dernier.

"Look at them on their honeymoon." he said.

 ** _"They look adorable._ " **Dernier smiled. They continued to chat, unaware that they were overheard by Private Lorraine. The blond quickly went to spread the news about their captain and sergeant all over base. The reactions varied from shock to confusion. The upper ups were blissfully oblivious to the rumor making the rounds. They assumed that Bucky and Steve's relationship was familial. Several people didn't believe the rumor and thought it absurd. While the rest believed the rumor. However, they were too afraid to confront Bucky. The sergeant hadn't been the same ever since his capture by HYDRA. Small things had changed and people began to notice. He barely smiled much less laughed. The only times he ever smiled was when he was with Steve or the other Commandos.

* * *

A hour later, Skye was exploring the base when she heard the rumor. She blinked into confusion.

'Bucky and Steve got married? When did that happen?' she thought. After some serious thinking, she went to Peggy to see if it was true.

"Hey, Peggy? Are these rumors true?" she asked.

"What rumors?" Peggy was confused.

"There is a rumor about Steve and Bucky being on their honeymoon." Skye explained. Peggy was shocked. She didn't know that they had gotten married.

"Why didn't they invite me? I thought I was their friend." she pondered. She then stopped to think. After a minute of thinking, she began to laugh.

"It's just a rumor. I almost believed it." she smiled as she giggled. She then wondered if her friends has heard the rumors yet. Their reactions promised to be amusing.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dernier and Gabe were caught up in a prank war. There was witch hazel in underwear and socks, hair dye in shampoo, glue on beds, and so much more. The other Commandos were hit by mistake. The reactions to getting caught in the crossfire ranged from mild upset to anger. The war finally ended when they got Bucky by mistake. They had booby-trapped the Commandos' tent and Bucky got caught in it. As he wiped the syrup and feathers from his face. He glared at the two soldiers. Bucky was in a horrible mood. He had wondered over and over on how to prevent his death. He never wanted to leave Steve alone **ever**!

"These stupid pranks are **over**." Bucky growled. Gabe and Dernier quickly called a truce and promptly fled.

* * *

 While the prank war was being ended, Skye was at the safe-house. Leo was with Howard, so she had some time to think alone. She had asked around about Steve and Bucky and learned of their closeness. After some serious thinking, she decided that she would get them to see the light. She's gonna play matchmaker. This was going to be great, she thought to herself. They'd see that they truly loved each other.


	12. Phrase One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye takes the first step in her plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 11 as promised. Depending on how things pans out, ch 12 may be up tmw.

Skye knew that she would need help so she approached Peggy. She found the older brunette in her tent going over some paperwork. Skye was giddy and eager to get her plans started.

"Peggy, I'm going to need your help." Skye said.

"What do you need?" Peggy asked as she put her pen down.

"I want to get Steve and Bucky together." Skye answered.

"That's perfect. How about we get the others involved?" Peggy suggested, smiling.

"That'll be ever better," Skye smiled. Her whole plan was going smoothly already!

* * *

A few minutes later, the Commandos, Leo, and Howard were called in to meet in the living room at the safe-house.

"So, who thinks that Bucky and Steve makes a cute couple?" Peggy asked everyone. Several hands went up as everyone nodded, interested in the conservation already.

"We are going to get them together." Skye added.

"Finally!" Everyone chorused.

"So, any ideas?" Skye asked.

"We could try leaving them in their room." Jim offered.

"It won't work if they aren't locked in. And it should be a last resort after we've exhausted all options." Peggy stated.

"Let's just come up with another plan." Skye responded.

"Sure." Jim replied. Then they talked and planned ways of getting their friends together.

* * *

That night, Bucky and Steve were lured to a private place in the forest. When they both arrived in the clearing, they were surprised to see each other.

"Where is Dum Dum?" Bucky asked. Steve was about to reply when they noticed heated rations on plates and lit candles. There were fake flowers on the table along with a pretty tablecloth.

"What is all of this?" Steve asked as he tilted his head in confusion. Bucky shook his head at the table. Someone was messing with them.

"This has to be a joke because of the rumor," Bucky responded. Steve blushed furiously at the mention of the rumor. He had been shocked when Howard had congratulated them on their marriage.

_"Should I offer congratulations on your marriage?" Howard asked them. The pair was visiting the inventor in order to get their weapons upgraded.  
_

_"What marriage?" Steve asked in confusion._

_"You don't know? Well it goes like this..." Howard then proceeded to explain. Steve blushed when Howard began the story, but by the end, he was mortified. His face was bright red. Bucky looked annoyed by the rumor. He didn't like it when people made a joke about his personal life, especially if it involved Steve._

"Did you ever find out who came up with the rumor?" Steve asked Bucky as the former came out of his reminiscing.

"Not yet." Bucky grumbled.

"Let's just enjoy the meal. We'll tell whoever did this off later." Steve sighed.

"Definitely. They'll be soon regretting this." Bucky promised. Then they sat down and enjoyed their meal. They talked and enjoyed the time they spent together.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Commandos had taken Leo and Skye to London. They showed them around the city. The group stopped by shops before going to the bar. Stopping at the counter, they ran into Hodge. The Commandos stopped in their tracks when they saw Hodge. They knew about what he'd said to Peggy and did to Steve when they were both in basic. Hodge immediately squared his shoulders when he saw the group. He tried to look dominant before beginning to use disgusting racial slurs against Jim and Gabe. Skye stepped forward and grabbed Hodge's shoulders. She then lifted her knee sharply into his groin. The arrogant soldier instantly collapsed holding his crotch in pain. His buddies got up and walked up to Skye. They didn't like her embarrassing their friend. The others got in position besides Skye, daring the men to make a move.

"We'll make you pay for that," one of Hodge's buddies vowed.

"That son of a bitch had it coming, a long time ago." Dum Dum responded. A moment later, Skye threw a punch at one of the meat heads. He roared and went to hit back only to be thrown in a table by Monty. When one of his friends went to return the favor, a brawl broke out. Fists flew and glass broke as the two sides fought.

Soon the Commandos walked out of the bar. After kicking the asses of Hodge and his meat head friends, they each slapped some money down to pay for the broken glasses. This would be one hell of a story.

* * *

A hour later, Bucky and Steve were back in their tent talking when Phillips burst in. The colonel stalked in and marched up to them. His face was red with anger. His body was coiled tight with fury.

"Your teammates got in some bar brawl with Hodge and his friends!" he fumed. The pair tried to stop themselves from laughing in Phillips's face.

"I want them to be reprimanded for such conduct unbecoming of a soldier!" he shouted. Steve and Bucky exchanged glances before electing to remain quiet. They would play along and find out why later. A moment later, the colonel stomped out of the tent in a huff.

A few minutes later, Peggy walked in the tent with paperwork.

"Did you hear anything about the fight?" Bucky asked.

"Yes. The fight started after racial slurs against Jim and Gabe were said by that pig, Hodge. Skye kneed him in the crotch and things went downhill from there." Peggy responded. Pride radiated from the soldiers. Their friends were amazing.

"I have never been more proud of them in my life." Steve snickered. Bucky outright laughed and eventually, Peggy dissolved in a silent cackle.


	13. Disgust and Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Steve disguise themselves for a mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 12. This is the last update for now. I need to start planning my next Bucky/Steve fic. However, ch 13 should be up in 2-3 days.

Skye was sleeping in her bed, dreaming vividly.

 _Skye was on the Bus with her team. They were somewhat relaxed. Jemma smiled as Leo went on and on about an invention and Trip shook his head in fond exasperation. May and Phil watched over the younger agents with fondness. Skye's smile shone bright as she looked at her team._ _She was so happy to see her team and surrogate family alive._

_Abruptly, the dream changed. What started as a happy dream rapidly became a horrifying nightmare. As HYDRA agents burst into the room, shooting everyone but Skye. Skye screamed, as she looked at the bloody bodies of her friends. She couldn't lose them a second time!  
_

_All of sudden, Skye's mother appeared in front of her. Skye clung to her mother as she started to weep._

_"I'm here, sweetie. Mama's here." her mother spoke soothingly._

_"What happened to you?" Skye sniffed. Before her mother could reply, she started to fade along with the dead bodies. Skye found herself alone in a black void. She started to scream._

Skye sat upright in her bed breathing hard as she looked around. It had been an awful nightmare. Skye groaned as she laid back down. That nightmare might never go away.

* * *

The next day, the Commandos met in Steve and Bucky's tent.

"We've got another mission. We just need more recon and intel." Bucky was saying. The team straightened. Missions were serious business, it was do or die.

"However, we need a disguise so we can get our intel." Bucky finished.

"Thank god, there's no trains involved!" Monty sighed in relief.

"Agreed." Gabe replied. The others nodded their agreement.

" _ **Wait, what about Cap? HYDRA knows what he looks like.**_ " Dernier stated with Gabe translating. That led to Steve being put in a dress. His natural hair was tucked in a hair cap and a blond wig. He had Peggy's lipstick and mascara on. She had fun making him up in a gorgeous woman. Skye took pictures as the Commandos complimented their captain. He made a convincing woman.

"If I wasn't straight, I would marry you in a heartbeat." Monty replied.

"Amen." Dum Dum stated. Bucky stared at Steve and thought that he was the beautiful sight he'd ever seen. Steve blushed under the makeup. He was loving the attention that he was getting from his best friend. Seeing Bucky's current predicament, a light went off in Peggy's head.

"How about you go with him, Bucky? Just for protection. It isn't safe for women to be alone, not with the enemy soldiers walking around." Peggy suggested.

* * *

A few minutes later, Howard and Peggy were giving Bucky, Steve, and the Commandos the details of their mission. Bucky was dressed in the best suit they could find. While the Commandos were dressed as soldiers and scientists.

"Your cover is that you are a couple on a date. Just do what you usually do, the rest will come naturally." Peggy began.

"You guys are to go to the facility." Howard finished. Then they were their separate ways. The Commandos went to the facility where all of the scientists worked and Bucky and Steve went to the nearby village.

In the village, Bucky and Steve gathered intel by pretending to be a couple. They were extremely convincing. The pair were affectionate, Bucky would kiss Steve's hand and cheek. Steve would nuzzle Bucky and give flirty smiles.

"Aren't they cute," an older couple cooed. A flower vendor winked at Bucky as he handed him a free bouquet.

"Thanks." Bucky winked at the vendor as he turned and gifted the blushing Steve with the roses. Steve smiled at Bucky in thanks. Kids stared at Steve and giggled when he would smile at them.

The couple were enjoying themselves when a HYDRA soldier turned up like a bad penny. He caused major problems for them as he made unwanted advances on Steve. He hit on the blond, making lewd gestures all the while catcalling obnoxiously. The locals gagged and children hid when the man began to make a pass at Steve. Bucky became extremely angry and insanely jealous.

"Get away from my girl." he growled.

"Well, a girl like that needs a real man." the soldier laughed as he leered at Steve. Steve was now very uncomfortable. While he would usually cringe and get angry when he saw jerks doing those stunts to a random dame on the streets back in Brooklyn. Here, he didn't know what to do. A wrong word or move would get them captured. In the end, the solution was taken out of his hands when the soldier reached out and slapped Steve on the ass. He squeaked and slapped the soldier. That did it for Bucky, he instantly sucker-punched the obnoxious soldier. The locals began cheering and clapping.

"No means no, you pig! Get that through your disgusting skull!" Bucky snarled as he grabbed Steve and got them the hell out of there. He'd never been this angry before in his life.

* * *

About a hour later, Bucky and Steve were safely in their tents. Bucky was still livid over what had happened earlier.

"I'm never taking you on a mission that requires you to look gorgeous ever again." Bucky swore vehemently. He was seething as he clenched his fists. Steve was trying his best to calm Bucky down. Steve was worried about Bucky's anger. He hadn't expected some jerk to ruin their outing.

"Please calm down, Bucky." Steve pleaded with his angry friend.

"I can't calm down! He put his hands on you. He acted like you was some prize for him to win!" Bucky nearly shouted.

"I'm not happy about it neither! I was the one that he was making sexual advances at." Steve responded before he wrapped himself around Bucky. Calming down, the sergeant returned the hug.

"Let's just stay here. The others won't bother us." Steve suggested.

"Sure. When we go home, I'll make it up to you." Bucky promised as they laid down on the cot and spooned. Bucky was the bigger spoon.

* * *

Meanwhile, Leo was finally alone in his room. He was remembering the last time when he and Jemma had been together.

_The scientists were enjoying their day off. The Bus had been parked and everyone were their separate ways for the day. The pair decided that they could go to an arcade. So they did, and played the many games including; Street Fighter, Pac-Man, Galaga, Super Mario Bros. There was even a pinball machine and claw cranes. When it was time for lunch, they ate pizza and nachos._

_"I'm having a wonderful time. It is so good to not have to worry about a botched experiment or a super-villain." Jemma smiled._

_"Me too. I love experiments but I needed this break." Leo responded as he smiled. The friends finished up their lunch. It had been a good day._

Leo came out of his reminiscing. A tear fell down his face. His heart hurt severely.


	14. On to the Last Resort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group begins to plan one last matchmaking trick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 13. TKoE will be next to be updated.

The next day, the Commandos, Howard, Peggy, Skye, and Leo had a planning session. They were huddled together and trying to be very quiet.

"We need a much tamer plan. The last one has Bucky still fuming." Jim was saying.

"Steve got groped by some HYDRA asshole. Steve slapped him." Peggy explained. The Commandos and Howard cringed at the story. Leo and Skye stiffened. They could only imagine how Bucky reacted.

"Let's try to make Steve jealous. With Bucky, it's a disaster, but with Steve, not as much." Skye suggested.

"Sure. How about we pay some of the WAC to flirt with Bucky?" Leo responded. The others liked the idea so they settled in to plan their strategy.

After lunch, Bucky was stunned when all of sudden, the women soldiers started to flirt with him. He kind of liked the attention but he was still confused. Steve's jaw clenched as he looked at the women that were practically draped all over Bucky. He was jealous but didn't show it. The other soldiers in the camp got massively jealous of Bucky. So they began to act out, they were rude to Bucky. Steve instantly went to his best friend's defense.

"You all shut the hell up. Get back to work!" Steve commanded as he glared at the unruly soldiers.

"Whatever, Rogers. Just sit there and pretend like you could score any of these girls." Hodge sneered. Bucky turned to Hodge and glared at him.

"Do you want me to do exactly what Peggy did to you?" he retorted. Hodge stood up and so did Bucky. They looked like they were going to come to blows any second. So Phillips stepped in between the two soldiers, narrowly avoiding a brawl.

* * *

A few minutes later, Phillips was pacing the floor of his tent, as he reprimanded Steve and Bucky.

"I don't know what you did but it caused a major disturbance in this camp! Hot head, over here was ready to fight a fellow soldier over a petty comment!" he growled. Bucky and Steve sat silently in their seats. They didn't have much to say.

"Go back to your tent and stay there until dinnertime," Phillips ordered. The pair of soldiers grumbled. What were they, children?

* * *

 After dinner, Bucky and Steve hung out with the Commandos. The men were seated around a table, playing blackjack. They were relaxed as they played through many rounds. Everyone groaned as Monty won several rounds. He was a card shark.

"I know Phillips would've busted your balls for it. But I would give anything for a fight right now." Dum Dum said. Several others chuckled as they nodded in agreement.

* * *

The next day, Bucky and Steve were staying in their tent. They had decided to stay in. Since they were already on edge from the events of the last several days. The last thing they needed was to end up in another fight. Currently, Bucky and Steve were relaxing as they discussed the strange missions they'd been sent on.

"Why are we being sent on strange missions?" Steve asked his friend.

"I don't know neither. I mean the dinner was a joke but it all began to escalate." Bucky responded. 

"Do you think the team had something to do with this?" Steve asked as he started moving close to his friend.

"Maybe? I'm not sure." Bucky responded as he turned his head. All of sudden, their lips pressed together. Their eyes slipped closed as their lips continued to press against the other.

Meanwhile Skye had came by to get some film from Bucky. She peeked in the tent. Her eyes went wide when she saw the friends kissing.

Moments later, Steve's mind filled with panic as he realized what they were doing. The pair abruptly sat up and tried to act like nothing had happened. They didn't want to lose the other person's friendship. Skye snuck away. She had a meeting to call.

* * *

Several minutes later, the Commandos, Howard, and Peggy met with Skye and Leo at the safe-house.

"I just saw Bucky and Steve kissing!" Skye exclaimed. Jaws hit the floor. No one could believe that their friends had finally given into and made a move.

"However, they are now visiting that river in Egypt. You know the river of Denial." Skye added. Cries of disappointment went up.

"Aw, they were so close, man. Now we definitely need to go to our last resort." Leo groaned. All of the group nodded. There was no other way for them to get Steve and Bucky together.

"What room should we use in this house?" Monty wanted to know.

"There is a closet near their room. They couldn't get out of there if they tried." Howard offered.

"We need to make this plan perfect. It is our last shot. We also need to keep Phillips and everyone else busy." Skye warned.

"I'll provide the distraction in the form of a good old 'explosion'" Howard offered. Dernier perked up in interest. The Frenchman was a pyromaniac and loved to make things go BOOM.

" _ **Can I help?**_ " Dernier asked with Gabe translating.

"Sure! The more, the merrier," Howard smiled. Everyone around them groaned.

"Don't destroy everything," Peggy warned. That explosion would make them deaf. Howard and Dernier instantly huddled together to hatch plans, while the rest worked on their plan to lure Bucky and Steve to the closet and finalize details. When they had come up with the perfect plan, they went their separate ways to get started.


	15. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Bucky gets tricked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 14. Ch 15 should be posted tmw, depending on how things pans out.  
> On another note; I finally threw in the towel and rejoined tumblr. I used to have an account on there but after my e-mail address got changed, I was no longer able to get on tumblr. I don't know if I will be posting my fics there. It really depends on how things pans out. However, I will def be still posting my fics here!

The Commandos, Peggy, Howard, Leo, and Skye were carrying out the final phrase.

"Can you give me a hand at the safe-house? I need to get Skye and Leo's luggage out of the closet, but it's packed in there." Peggy asked Bucky and Steve.

"Sure." Steve responded with Bucky nodding his agreement. Several minutes later, they were at the safe-house and walking in the closet. When they both had gotten in, Dum Dum came out of the room next door and pushed them completely inside. He abruptly slammed the door and locked it. Their eyes went wide as they banged on the door.

"You two will stay in there until you confess your true feelings. We're getting sick and tired of watching both of you two pining away over each other!" Dum Dum stated as he turned and walked away.

* * *

 Meanwhile, Howard and Dernier were working on their "experiment." They put on their goggles and then Howard added the last ingredient. The resulting explosion was heard throughout the camp as all nonliving things within 10 mile radius was dyed. All of the laundry from both of the male and female soldiers were in for cleaning. They had the washroom next door and someone had left the stuff behind. All of it was now blue. The soldiers were dismayed by what happened to their clothes.

"What is the meaning of this?!" a WAC shouted.

Dernier and Howard couldn't help but be proud of their work. They had effectively distracted everyone. The two men shook hands.

" _ **Now, let's just hope this**_ **works.** " Dernier said. Howard nodded his agreement. They didn't want this to go to waste.

* * *

In the meantime, the other Commandos watched the fallout of the explosion with Peggy, Skye, and Leo. Skye and Leo were vastly relieved that they didn't have to worry about dyed blue clothing.

"I am so happy that I have my laundry at the safe-house," Leo sighed. The Commandos and Peggy also let out sighs. They hadn't brought their laundry in for cleaning yet. It was still in the tents.

"Yeah, we are a lucky bunch." Gabe agreed.

"We should probably save them from those angry soldiers." Skye commented as she pointed out the furious group of soldiers surrounding the unabashed duo of Howard and Dernier. They all nodded and went to rescue their friends.

* * *

A hour later, Leo and Skye visited Howard in his lab.

"Are you working on any new inventions?" Skye asked.

"Just more technological improvements." Howard responded.

"What kind of improvements?" Leo wanted to know.

"The flying car for beginners. The car can be a great innovation. All I'd have to do is to get my patent past the feds." Howard responded.

"Can I see a picture of it?" Leo asked as he perked up in interest.

"Sure thing," Howard responded as he pulled out pictures of it. The two agents looked at the pictures in awe. They hoped that this invention would eventually be finished.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bucky and Steve had finally given up trying to escape the closet. They were standing inside. Bucky was angry at Dum Dum for forcing them in there while Steve was mortified. He knew that in order to get out of the closet, he needed to tell Bucky the truth. So he took a chance.

"I love you, Bucky." he blurted out.

"I've always loved you. You were always someone that I could trust and spend my life with." he finished. The other soldier was shocked but he smiled. He gripped Steve's hand.

"I love you, too, punk. I've loved you since we were kids." he admitted. Steve leaned forwards and kissed Bucky's lips. The older man returned the kiss. The love they had for each other poured out. As they hugged each other close. Maybe this closet wasn't such an awful place after all.


	16. The Train

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team get the file for the train mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 15. Sorry for the delay but I had a bad day yesterday and got sidetracked. Hopefully ch 16 will be out tmw. It depends on how things pans out.

The Commandos gathered Leo and Skye. They had finally got their intel about the train mission. All of them were tense as they read the package with the file inside. Steve was on edge. He needed more details.

"Do you two have any more information?" he asked.

"This is when Bucky dies. He falls of the train into freezing snow." Leo answered. At the mere thought of losing Bucky, Steve went into a complete panic. He thought it over many times before making a suggestion.

"Maybe Bucky should just stay behind." he said. Bucky sat up and looked at Steve. He couldn't believe it.

"Are you crazy? I'm not letting you go alone!" he exclaimed.

"It's all I can think of. You can't get on that train." Steve tried to reason.

"I'm not gonna let you go alone, Steve. It is way too dangerous." Bucky stated firmly.

"We can think of a plan together. Hopefully, we can complete the mission and save Bucky," Leo suggested. Bucky sighed and nodded. He'd do anything but leave the love of his life alone.

"Alright, let's figure something out," Monty said. They huddled together, hoping to come out of this intact.

* * *

A few days later, Bucky and Steve, Gabe and Skye got on the train. They went their separate ways, Gabe headed towards the front. Steve was instantly swarmed by HYDRA soldiers. Bucky and Skye came to his rescue. Skye kept Bucky away from the door as they both fought off the soldiers. The agent kicked the soldiers out of the train. When Steve got knocked down, Bucky took up the shield. Skye had heard the whole story from a distraught Steve before. So she instantly tackled him, spending them both sprawling.

"After you got the shield, you were forced off the train." she warned the stunned sergeant. Then she went to help Steve up while punching her way through the enemy soldiers.

Meanwhile, Gabe got to the front of the train and captured Zola. He then brought his captive to the team.

"You bastard!" Skye yelled as she lunged at the person she considered to be responsible for the horrible future. She was furious with the scientist. Because of him, her mom and too many of her loved ones were dead! Steve caught her before she could do any actual damage. The team went to wait for their ride back to the camp. It was a pivotal moment in the war.

* * *

 A few hours later, they arrived at the camp. Phillips took Zola in custody.

"All of you get back to your tents. Excellent work." he spoke happily. Everyone then went their separate ways to enjoy some downtime.

The Commandos went to the bar for drinks.

"We survived the train." Gabe declared.

"I'll drink to that!" Monty declared. The men relaxed and enjoyed their drinks. It was a good day to be a Commando.

Meanwhile, Peggy met up with Howard. The pair smiled at each other as they sat down to eat their melted cheese and bread. They chatted as they ate their meal.

"This wasn't so bad," Peggy said. Howard grinned and ordered some chocolate for dessert. It was actually a good date.

Meanwhile, Bucky and Steve went to their safe-house. The pair were kissing and falling into each other. Then Bucky picked up Steve and carried him to their bedroom. Once there, Bucky dropped Steve on the bed, then turned and locked the door. Then he pounced on Steve. The kisses got more and more heated and clothes were pulled off. Bucky found Vaseline in the bedroom drawer. He began to prep Steve slowly. His lover was a virgin and any rough sex could potentially injure him. Steve panted and kissed the love of his life. His toes curled and he arched his back. As Steve relaxed and opened up more, Bucky slicked himself up. Then he grabbed Steve's hips as he lined himself up against his entrance. He slid in, making love to Steve slowly. He wanted to make his first time memorable. Steve moaned and raked his nails down the soldier's back.

"Go faster, Buck." he panted. Bucky started moving faster as he thrust into Steve. Minutes later, Steve was close, he went to stroke his cock, only to have his hand slapped away by Bucky. Bucky gripped the blond's cock and stroked him. Steve's toes curled and his eyes rolled back into his head as he came, spilling his seed on his stomach. Groaning into his lover's neck, Bucky came hard. He spilled his seed deep inside Steve's inner walls. The couple laid panting on the bed as they came down. Steve laid his head on Bucky's chest. He smiled up at him.

"I love you so much," he whispered with a small smile.

"I love you too." Bucky responded as he kissed his lover's forehead.

* * *

While Bucky was making love to Steve, Leo and Skye were busy. They snuck into the prison where Phillips had put Zola. The pair were wearing army civvies and had gloves on. They quickly found the scientist in his cell. They looked at each other, as they remembered Sif's other orders.

_The trio were in one of the rooms at the Tower. They were discussing their mission. Sif had just finished telling them about having the ability to send them back in time. As she went over the mission details, she started to tell them one final thing._

_"After you save your friend, you must destroy HYDRA. Never let it reform." she warned. Then she dismissed the pair so they could go and get ready._

Skye and Leo came out of their memories. They looked at each other then back at Zola. They knew what they had to do.

Seconds later, they then made sure that Zola told Phillips every detail of what he had done. Zola was a weak man and when they threatened him with death, he gave in. Zola wrote down his confession on paper. He gave it to Skye. Skye placed it in her back pocket. She'd drop it off in Phillips' mailbox later. She opened the cell door and forced Zola down. She pushed him on his side and pressed the pillow to his temple. Leo got the gun from her holster and pressed it down. He fired the gun. After checking to confirm the scientist's death, the pair disposed of the pillow and cleaned off the gun. They pressed it into Zola's limp hand to get his fingerprints. They then dropped it on the ground next to growing puddle of blood under Zola's head.  The two slipped out of the cell and out of sight.

* * *

The next morning, the group of Commandos, Bucky, and Steve was in the living room at the safe-house when Phillips flung open the door and stormed in. He was red in the face with anger.

"What happened to Zola?!" he demanded. All of them were confused.

" ** _Isn't Zola in his cell?_** " Dernier asked.

"A guard found him dead with a gun and a bullet in his head. We searched him before we brought him in!" Phillips growled.

"But they usually use poison capsules!" Steve protested just as Dum Dum replied to Phillips' original question.

"Some of us were at the bar. I think Peggy and Howard went out to dinner, and Bucky and Steve were in their room," Dum Dum answered. Just then Phillips' assistant came in.

"Sir, we've found Zola's suicide note." she reported. The man turned to her and took it. He read it over before saying.

"I need to go and talk with the people in Washington. They will need to know this." he stated. Then he left with his assistant.

A hour later, the Commandos explained the news to the others. Leo and Skye decided that they needed to come clean.

"We killed Zola, but we have a good reason." Skye began. The soldiers stared at the duo with confusion.

"Skye and I are from the future. We were sent back because a creation killed our friends. I loved one of them very much." Leo admitted. The group were shocked by both Skye and Leo's admission.

"What about Zola?" Bucky wanted to know.

"Zola was invited by the federal government into a new agency to be a scientist. He planted a seed within it to create a brand new HYDRA." Skye revealed.

"Who would do something like that? He experimented on people!" Bucky exclaimed.

"We don't know, but it caused a lot of chaos. With that and the creation gone wrong, our friends were killed before our eyes." Leo spoke sadly.

"The new HYDRA killed my mom and drove my father insane. I grew up in the foster system not knowing who I really was. I only just found out my birth name recently." Skye admitted. The soldiers were shocked and horrified.

"I'll never let that happen," Peggy proclaimed. Leo and Skye sighed with relief. They had completed their mission. They saved their friends and could now go home.


	17. Coming Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Commandos fight Red Skull.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's ch 16. The epi is next and then I'm done and I can focus on the Otherworld trilogy. The title for #1 is Within the Otherworld. I have so much plans for it...

A few hours later, Bucky and Steve were preparing with the Commandos for their final attack on HYDRA. The group were going over plans.

"I'm going to get caught as a distraction. It is up to you to get everything done before he becomes aware." Steve was saying.

"Are you sure that you want to go alone? I'm coming with you!" Bucky declared. Steve sighed and looked at his lover.

"I'll be fine alone." Steve was trying to reassure the older man.

"I'm not letting you go alone. Anything can happen." Bucky stated as he stared down Steve. He couldn't risk him dying not when they had just avoided an awful fate. The train had been way too close for his own comfort.

"Okay, fine! You'll come with me and the others can complete the mission." Steve groaned as he relented.

The next morning, Buck and Steve begun their plan. They managed to get captured and brought in front of the HYDRA leader. Red Skull had them at his mercy when the Commandos stormed the building. Red Skull ran away as they shot through the place. The HYDRA soldiers and scientists were either killed or rounded up by the Commandos.

"Cap! Sarge! Red Skull escaped! You need to hurry!" Gabe yelled.

* * *

"We'll catch you later." Steve said. Then the pair ran off to find the HYDRA leader. The team cheered them on as they got on their bike. Bucky got on first and Steve straddled the back behind him. He wrapped his arms around Bucky's waist as Bucky started the engine. The pair saw Red Skull's car and started following it. Moments later, they managed to catch up to him and board the Valkyrie.

* * *

 A hour later, Peggy, Howard, and the Commandos were seated in the radio room. They waited for Bucky and Steve to call them. All of sudden, the radio cackled to life.

"Sergeant Barnes to Agent Carter, do you read me?" Bucky asked.

"Bucky, where are both of you?" Peggy asked.

"On Red Skull's private plane Valkyrie. Red Skull was vaporized. We have one problem, through. There are armed bombs on this plane and it is heading for New York." Bucky answered.

"What are you going to do?" Jim asked. Everyone was worried about what he'd do.

"I could land the plane in the water and Bucky could jump off." Steve suggested.

"No! Not without you!" Bucky shouted. The pair was upset but also scared. They wanted each other to survive. Steve turned off the radio briefly to speak with his lover in private.

"Please jump, Buck. Live your life." Steve tried to reason with his lover.

"I meant it, Steve. I'm with you til the end of the line!" Bucky retorted, then he turned the radio back on to say goodbye.

"We're sorry, but there is no other way. So this is goodbye." Bucky informed their friends. Some of the group members began to cry. Tears ran down their faces.

"Goodbye, men. It was a pleasure serving with you." Gabe sighed sadly.

"I want all of you to take care of the HYDRA soldiers and scientists we missed. Don't leave a single one free." Steve stated.

"We will, Captain." the Commandos answered. Then there was loud rumbling sound before the radio went dead. The soldiers broke down. Their comrades and best friends were gone.

* * *

A few minutes later, the Commandos, Peggy, and Howard mourned the loss of their friends. They bowed their heads and barely talked. Then they went back to the safe-house where Leo and Skye were packing up. The two agents were concerned when they saw the group.

"Did you find Steve in your future?" Peggy asked the duo.

"Yes, but it took nearly 70 years." Skye answered.

"Howard, be very careful if you find a blue cube." Leo warned. Howard looked confused.

"What do you mean by blue cube?" he asked.

"While looking for Steve's body, you found a deadly blue cube." Leo explained.

"Steve told me that was what vaporized Red Skull!" Skye exclaimed. Howard and the Commandos were disturbed. Then someone realized something odd.

"Wait, when did you speak with Steve? How did he survive the ice?" Dum Dum wanted to know.

"Oops." Skye replied sheepishly. She hadn't meant to slip up!

"Just tell them, Skye," Leo sighed.

"It was the serum in his blood. Bucky survived the same way. However, they both died before we were sent back." Skye responded.

"Who killed your mother?" Peggy wanted to know.

"He used the name Daniel Whitehall. But his real name was Werner Reinhardt." Skye began.

"Some people are born with supernatural abilities. Skye's mother was one of them." Leo added.

"Right, for some strange reason she didn't age, when he saw her again after 44 years. He wanted to know why. So Whitehall had my mother kidnapped and did surgery on her. It stopped the aging progress and killed her. My dad found her remains and lost it." Skye explained sadly.

"Oh my god!" Howard was disgusted.

"We know that Whitehall was obsessed with trying to finish a certain project. When he went to track the surviving test subjects down. That's how he found out about Skye's mother in the first place." Leo explained.

"My mom was originally a test subject, and is probably one of his prisoners right now." Skye finished.

"Never let him out. He will kill her mother." Leo warned.

"I promise you, Skye that he will never see the light of day. You have my word." Peggy promised.

* * *

A few minutes later, Sif arrived to get her charges. The portal spun in blue light as she stepped out. Skye and Leo said goodbye to the team, Peggy, and Howard.

"It was a pleasure getting to know you." Howard smiled. All of them hugged the young time travelers. They wished them the best.

"Well, done. You have corrected the future." Sif smiled. The pair were overjoyed that they had fixed everything.

"It's time to go home, Leo." Skye smiled. The scientist shared the same smile. Home sounded like an amazing place again.


	18. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world is right again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the epilogue! The prologue for Within the Otherworld should be up tmw. It really depends on how things pans out.

_**Triskelion, Washington D.C., 2015;** _

Skye and Leo were dropped into the Triskelion. A quick check of Skye's cell said it was 2015. The pair was shocked that the building was not only intact but it was also much larger. The pair saw once dead agents walking around and working hard. The young agents even saw Bruce and Tony walking around the triskelion. Both of the agents were ecstatic to see everyone safe.

"Let's go and see our team!" Leo grinned.

* * *

A few minutes later, Skye and Leo were making their way through the Triskelion when their new memories came. Skye had memories of both of her parents. She was still called Skye for missions but she was called Daisy by both her parents. She began to cry tears of joy. She had finally gotten her wish for a loving childhood complete with a family.

"What's wrong?" Leo asked in confusion.

"They saved my mom. My mom is alive." she sniffled.

"How?" Leo asked.

"My parents told me the whole story when I was growing up. It goes like this." Skye began.

_Triskelion, Washington D.C., 1989;_

_Nicholas Fury had been called in the director's office. Peggy and her husband; Howard Stark was there. Peggy had decided to keep her maiden name at work. A lot of politicians and agents were sexist and she didn't want them believing that she got where she was because of her marriage. Howard supported her decision._

_"Agent Fury, I have an important mission for you," Peggy said._

_"What is it, Director Carter?" Fury asked._

_"A HYDRA officer escaped custody. He needs to be brought back dead or alive." Peggy explained._

_"We also have intel saying he is after a woman. You need to protect her and any family she might have." Howard added. Nick accepted the mission and was soon on the first helicopter to China with a team. His team members consisted of Phil Coulsion, Richard Lumley, and Linda Avery._

_The woman they had been assigned to protect was working at a medical clinic she owned with her husband; Calvin Zabo. The married couple was surprised when SHIELD agents walked into their clinic._

_"Why are you here?" the young doctor asked._

_"Werner Reinhardt is on the loose. Director Carter has sent us to protect you and your family." Linda explained._

_"Oh no." Meihui Zabo paled. She and her husband exchanged worried glances. They needed to protect their daughter. Cal was terrified for his wife and their tiny daughter. What would he do if he ever lost his loved ones?_

_A few minutes later, the agents were taken to a house in the village. The couple's infant daughter Daisy was there. Meihui picked up her daughter and cuddled her. They saw the cute baby and knew that they needed to protect her and her mother with everything they had._

_Two days later, they captured the HYDRA officer. When Reinhardt tried to enter the clinic, the agents caught him. He was taken down without incident. The parents were grateful that their baby was safe. Cal was also relieved that Meihui was safe. He wouldn't hurt them anymore._

"And that's what happened. When I first heard that story, I swore to join SHIELD as a way of repaying them for saving my mom." Skye finished.

"That's amazing!" Leo cheered. Then he began to remember his love for Jemma. He blushed when he realized that his whole team knew. Skye smiled at Leo.

"Let's get her, tiger." she suggested as she remembered that her team was bigger with Ward and Trip joining. Sharon was also on the team now. May was a different person in this new timeline. She preferred to be called Melinda. Skye now understood what Coulson meant by Melinda being a warm person. Tony and Bruce worked for SHIELD. Bruce worked free lance while Tony designed weapons that were only used for defense. When the Cold War had ended, Howard had put his feet down citing that he didn't want anymore blood on his hands. So SHIELD were outfitted with protective gear and latest tech instead.

"I was right about him being a somewhat good guy." Leo smiled at the new memories. Then they resumed walking.

* * *

Meanwhile, Phil and Jasper talked over lunch. The two close friends laughed at a joke they shared.

"We should finish up. I have something to do with my team." Phil was saying.

"How is the prank war?" Jasper asked.

"Don't remind me. It's like a prank war zone here." Phil groaned. Jasper chuckled slightly as they resumed eating their meal.

In the meantime, the STRIKE teams and several SHIELD agents met in the conference room. The mood was merry. Clint had began a prank war. Melinda, Sharon, and some other agents had joined up. Some people were grinning at the victims of the prank war. Then Jack Rollins decided to change the subject topic.

"Okay, who is the most scariest of everyone?" Jack asked.

"Fury is pretty scary. He don't show much emotion so you have no idea what he is about to do." Maria started.

"Natasha is pretty terrifying. She's had a rep since she was twelve." Clint stated. Everyone cringed and nodded their agreement to Maria and Clint's suggestions. Natasha smirked smugly, she still had that effect.

"What about Cal Zabo? He's scary as hell." Grant Ward spoke up. The majority of the group blinked.

"You are definitely right." Melinda agreed with her friend and teammate.

"Who are you talking about?" Brock Rumlow asked.

"My dad isn't really scary. It's all a protective streak." Skye protested from the doorway. Everyone turned to see her and Leo walking in the room.

"Bucky is pretty terrifying." Sharon stated. Several agents blinked into confusion.

"Sergeant Barnes?" a younger agent asked.

"I saw that security footage." Clint winced as he shivered at the memory.

"How can he be frightening?" Brock asked.

"I'd never want to be near him in a dark alley when he was pissed off!" Clint exclaimed.

"My grandpa told me stories about him. He can be scary when he wants to be." Trip nodded.

"Tony pissed him off pretty bad." Sharon explained as she sighed. Her older brother could be an idiot sometimes. All of the teams cringed at the image Clint and Trip were conjuring up.

"Is that why he had a black eye?" Brock wanted to know.

"Pretty much yes." Sharon replied.

"Barnes has a mean right hook." Clint added. The teams nodded. That wasn't a lie.

* * *

A few minutes later, Leo and Jemma were in the lab. Leo was a nervous wreck and Jemma was very confused.

"Why did you bring me in here?" she asked.

"I love you, Jemma. I have since we first started working together." Leo confessed. The other scientist looked shocked at the revelation.

"I love you, too. I always thought this was one-sided." Jemma admitted. The scientists smiled brightly at each other. Jemma kissed Leo sweetly on the lips. They were perfect for each other.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bucky and Steve visited Howard and the Commandos. They had their own office in headquarters. Despite them not being able to be on the field, the Commandos were as feisty as ever. They helped train the new agents amongst other things. Howard still tinkered in his lab, his mind was still as sharp as ever. He and Tony were designing new inventions for the next Stark Expo.

"Well, look who's here!" Gabe laughed.

"Hey, man," Bucky smiled.

"What brings you to our side of the building?" Dernier asked.

"Just to visit. Peggy has nothing for us to do, so we stopped by." Bucky responded.

"Well, then sit. Let's talk about that Dodgers game." Dum Dum smiled.

A few hours later, Bucky and Steve were alone in their apartment after a long day. Bucky had gotten it sound-proofed so they could have total privacy. The two husbands cuddled in their room. They were wrapped around each other. Their bodies were relaxed as the worry of the world melted away.

"It was good to see the ol' gang again." Bucky stated.

"Definitely. They haven't changed." Steve smiled.

"Did you really expect them to?" Bucky asked.

"Never," Steve chuckled. Bucky laid his head on Steve's chest.

"I love you." he stated.

"I love you, too, Buck." Steve beamed happily. They resumed holding each other.

The world had finally become right. Zola and Red Skull were dead. HYDRA had never had the chance to reform, so SHIELD had never fallen. The agency was still going as strong as ever, as a result there was no need for Ultron. They could now live and love in happiness. Their family was safe and sound.


End file.
